Best Practices for Chitika Ad Implementation

chitikainc

4 years ago

In this post, we tackle one of the major factors influencing a publisher’s revenue – how they implement the Chitika ad code in terms of page position and unit size. Due to the differences in behavior between sets of audiences, the optimum settings for maximizing ad revenue can vary drastically between website types.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Chitika is a short, but complicated one: “how do I make the most money with your ads?” In this post, we tackle one of the major factors influencing a publisher’s revenue – how they implement the Chitika ad code in terms of page position and unit size. Due to the differences in behavior between sets of audiences, the optimum settings for maximizing ad revenue can vary drastically between website types.

Below, we examine four of the most common website categories within our affiliate network, and provide easy-to-follow advice in terms of which ad units historically perform best on each respective site type.

Ecommerce

Best Placement:

Bottom or top of search result pages for on-sale items (e.g. “hot rods” on a classic car sales website)

Best Unit:

550×250 rectangle, or anything that fits the actual width of the frame

Text-oriented Blog

Best Placements:

Within the content of a post (e.g. as a break in the middle of a blog post)

Above the comment section

Any place above the fold where the ad “fits” into the content/look and feel of your site

Important: DO NOT employ a right rail ad unit on this type of site – we’ve observed poorer performance with this option as compared to other placements

Best Units:

550×250 rectangle, or anything that fits the actual width of the post/frame

Our Hover unit, which slides in from the side of the page, is clearly visible and does increase revenue in most cases. However, user experience may be impacted and should be weighed against the revenue boost

Forum

Best Placements:

Within the thread (as in-text ad)

Right rail

Best Units:

Our Linx unit provides in-text ads, which minimizes the impact on user experience and integrates well into a forum-type site

For right rail, choose 300×250 display-enabled rectangle

Photo-oriented Blog

Best Placements:

For image-heavy sites with some text:

Within the content/post

Above the comment section

Any place above the fold where the ad “fits” into the content/look and feel

For primarily photo-only sites (e.g. Pinterest-like):

Start with between-post ads

Keep in mind that for this type of site in particular, the best monetization strategy will vary based upon your site’s orientation and audience

Experiment with placements you feel are more natural stopping points for your visitors

Best Unit:

550×250 rectangle, or anything that fits the actual width of the post/frame

With these tips in mind, you should be well positioned to start making the maximum amount of money using Chitika ads. However, realize that your site is unique in its own way. As such, always be willing to make tweaks based upon your site’s ensuing metrics, which you can view in the Chitika PartnerCenter. As a general rule, wait for at least a full week of data before you decide to make any changes in format or placement. Week-over-week or month-over-month changes are better indicators of performance as compared to day-to-day variations.